Sweetwater high school district, teachers eye shorter school year due to $27M gap

A tentative contract agreement that will help close the district’s $27 million budget deficit was reached last week ﻿between the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Sweetwater Education Association.

The one-year agreement calls for shortening the school year for teachers by up to 13 instructional days and one professional development day. The agreement maintains the staffing allocation of 31 students to one teacher.

Three furlough days are a certainty, and an additional 11 furloughs would take place if the statewide Temporary Tax Initiative to fund education fails in November.

Both sides agreed to a formula that will restore the 11 unpaid instructional days if California voters approve the temporary tax measure.

“We are happy and pleased that we could come together with the teachers as a team to balance the budget and continue to serve our students,” said school board President Pearl Quiñones.

“Now it’s up to the voters and the state legislators to restore funding for education.”